05-02 Robberies/Hold-Ups

Question 1

What is the Rationale?

Answer 1

Robberies of all types are violence acts capable of escalating without notice. These incidents pose a serious danger to victims, witnesses and responding police officers.
While the initial investigation of all robbery incidents is the responsibility of the local police division, the Detective Operations – Hold-up Squad (HUS) will take the lead and provide co-ordination throughout the Service for all robberies within their mandate. These include all robberies involving; financial institutions, armoured cars, retail businesses, home invasions committed with firearms or offensive weapons, money deposits, and carjacking’s committed with firearms or offensive weapons.
This procedure was developed to meet the Police Services Act, O. Reg. 3/99, Adequacy and Effectiveness of police Services to ensure
a) The safety of responding officers
b) The protection of the public
c) A thorough investigation, and
d) The collection and preservation of evidence in the approved manner.

Question 2

Supervision -

Answer 2

 Supervisory Officer attendance mandatory for all robberies
 Officer in Charge notification mandatory for all robberies
 Detective notification mandatory for all robberies
 Hold-up (HUS) notification mandatory for all robberies within their mandate

Question 3

Procedure -
HUS SHALL be contacted immediately in all instances of robbery involving

Answer 3

 financial institutions
 armoured cars
 retail business
 home invasions committed with firearms or offensive weapons
 money deposits and
 carjacking’s committed with firearms or offensive weapons
The Unit Commander – HUS may, upon conclusion of the preliminary investigation, at their discretion, take charge of any robbery investigation.

Question 4

All Divisional Officers - When not designated as primary responder or back-up SHALL

Answer 4

 remain on patrol of the area pending verification of the robber or hold-up alarm call
 not attend the scene until requested by the first two responding officers, a supervisory officer or the
communications operator

Question 5

All Divisional Officers - While traveling to the scene of a hold-up alarm SHALL

Answer 5

 activate the in-car camera system in compliance with Procedure 15-17
 be alert for suspects fleeing the scene on foot or in a gateway vehicle, and any persons who may be acting as
lookouts

Question 6

All Divisional Officers - At the conclusion of the at scene portion of a hold-up incident SHALL

Answer 6

 complete their memorandum book in compliance with Procedure 13–17
 scan and attach all memorandum book notes in the original eReport

Question 7

First Police Officer - When travelling to the scene of a robbery SHALL

Answer 7

 activate the in-car camera system in compliance with Procedure 15-17
 upon arrival at the scene SHALL notify the communications operator and
 provide a description of any suspect and/or vehicle
 request HUS be notified of any robbery that falls within their mandate
 request the attendance of a supervisory officer and additional officers, as required
 notify the divisional detective office

Question 8

First Police Officer - While awaiting the arrival of a supervisory officer and/or an appropriate investigator SHALL be responsible for the safety and well-being of the victim, offender management, and the preservation of the crime scene

Answer 8

 ensure immediate medical attention is provided to any injured parties
 comply with Procedure 04–31, if required
 preserve the crime scene and secure all potential evidence in compliance with Procedure 04–21
 request attendance of FIS personnel or a divisional Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO), if required
 interview all victims and witnesses
 whenever possible, and having regard for all circumstances, record interviews in compliance with Procedure 04–32

Question 9

First Police Officer - Complete and submit the applicable eReports, including the applicable MO Detail page

Answer 9

 comply with Procedure 17–01 NIP

Question 10

First Police Officer - Upon arrival at the scene of a hold-up alarm SHALL

Answer 10

 comply with item 4
 not enter the premises solo
 if not already on scene, request and await the arrival of back up officers
 observe the entrances and exits of the premises from a safe location while awaiting arrival of back-up officers
 upon arrival of back-up officers, check the exterior of the premises visually
 enter with caution to determine the status of the alarm
 notify back-up officers and the communications operator of alarm status
upon determining that the hold–up alarm is false SHALL immediately notify the communications operator

Question 11

First Police Officer - Where it is determined that a hold–up is in progress SHALL

Answer 11

 in addition to complying with item 4, request the communications operator contact
 Specialized Emergency Response – Emergency Task Force (ETF)
 Officer in Charge
 remain outside the premises, maintaining observation from a protected location
 take charge of the scene until arrival of a supervisory officer
 ensure that a control perimeter around the premises and other measures are established in compliance with
Procedures 10–01 and 10–05
 for public safety reasons, only permit emergency service personnel within the established perimeter
 frequently update the communications operator with pertinent information about the circumstances

Question 12

First Police Officer - After verifying that a hold–up has occurred and the suspect has left the scene SHALL

Answer 12

 notify the communications operator by telephone and maintain an open line
 in addition to complying with item 4 request the attendance of
 divisional detectives
 Detective Operations – Forensic Identification Services (FIS) personnel
 ensure compliance with item 5
 search the premises thoroughly, including waste receptacles, for discarded evidence such as a hold–up note
 determine if surveillance cameras were operational and as applicable, comply with item 12
 if bait money was given to the suspect, send the serial numbers of the bills and the original eReport number by
V–mail to the Prime handle, requesting they be entered onto CPIC
 if a suspect can be identified and/or an accurate description is available, select Yes for the BOLO option when completing the suspect Entities page
 Records Management Services – Operations will create and post a BOLO.
 ensure compliance with item 6

Question 13

First Police Officer - Upon receiving information that a GPS tracking device has been activated,
or GPS tracking capability is available in a
vehicle taken in a carjacking, and can be monitored

Answer 13

 SHALL notify the
 attending supervisory officer
 attending divisional investigator
 HUS

Question 14

First Police Officer - Where a hold–up note is located SHALL, in the absence of HUS officers

Answer 14

 protect the note for expert examination
 scan and attach the hold–up note to the original eReport
 provide the eReport number to the HUS and the Officer in Charge, advising a scanned copy of the hold–up note is attached to the eReport
 hand deliver the original hold–up note and provide the eReport number to FIS – Document Section (FIS –
Documents)
 If in attendance, it is the responsibility of HUS officers to seize all hold–up notes.

Question 15

First Police Officer - If a surveillance recording is available SHALL

Answer 15

 at other robbery scenes, when HUS officers are not in attendance
 seize the surveillance recording
 obtain an XXVA number from Property and Video Evidence Management Unit
 if video tape complete a TPS 189a and a TPS 405
 if DVD or CD insert into a jewel case and complete all fields of the TPS 189a
 package the recording, the TPS 189a and TPS 405 in a property bag
 when HUS officers are not available, hand deliver or ensure the hand delivery of the surveillance recording to the front desk at 33 Division and place in the HUS video evidence drop box
 if unable to seize or download the electronic recording, arrange for an officer to seize the surveillance recording at the earliest opportunity, and immediately hand deliver the electronic recording to the front desk at 33 Division and place in the HUS video evidence drop box
 If in attendance, it is the responsibility of HUS officers to seize all surveillance recordings.

Question 16

First Police Officer - When arresting a suspect of a robbery SHALL

Answer 16

 comply with the applicable procedures in Chapter 1
 isolate the person from witnesses, other suspects and police officers not involved in the arrest
 ensure that all evidence and the crime scene, where applicable, are dealt with in compliance with Procedure 04–21
 immediately contact the HUS regarding all robbery arrests that fall within their mandate

Question 17

Second Officer -
The second police officer is responsible for

Answer 17

locating the first officer, assisting to secure the crime scene and interviewing witnesses when required.

Question 18

Second Officer - Upon arrival at the scene of a robbery SHALL  ensure compliance with item 5

Answer 18

SHALL be responsible for the safety and well-being of the victim, offender management, and the preservation of the crime scene
 ensure immediate medical attention is provided to any injured parties
 comply with Procedure 04–31, if required
 preserve the crime scene and secure all potential evidence in compliance with Procedure 04–21
 request attendance of FIS personnel or a divisional Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO), if required
 interview all victims and witnesses
 whenever possible, and having regard for all circumstances, record interviews in compliance with Procedure 04–32

Question 19

Second Officer - Upon arrival at the scene of a hold–up alarm SHALL

Answer 19

 notify the communications operator
 locate the first officer and take direction from them until the arrival of a supervisory officer
 cover appropriate entrances and exits
 remain outside the premises and maintain communication
 in the event of a false alarm, clear the scene

Question 20

Second Officer - When notified that a hold–up has occurred and the suspect has left the scene SHALL

Answer 20

 secure the premises to prevent unauthorized persons from entering or leaving
 interview each witness separately
 protect any surface area which the suspect may have touched, such as service counters, teller wickets and exit
doors, if necessary

Question 21

Supervisory Officer -
The supervisory officer SHALL be responsible for the

Answer 21

quality and thoroughness of the uniform response.

Question 22

Supervisory Officer - When notified of a robbery SHALL

Answer 22

 attend at the scene forthwith
 take charge of all uniformed police officers
 assign sufficient police officers
 ensure the Officer in Charge is notified of all particulars
 ensure the HUS are notified of all particulars, if the robbery falls within their mandate
 ensure police officers comply with the applicable sections in this Procedure

Question 23

Supervisory Officer - When notified that a GPS tracking device has been activated, or available in a vehicle taken in a carjacking SHALL

Answer 23

 ensure the monitoring station is contacted to obtain GPS tracking information
 communicate the tracking information, as appropriate
 ensure the attending divisional investigator and the HUS are notified

Question 24

Divisional Detective -
The divisional investigator SHALL be responsible for ensuring the

Answer 24

HUS and FIS/SOCO are notified to attend and take charge of the investigation until the arrival of the HUS.

Question 25

Divisional Detective - When attending at the scene SHALL

Answer 25

 advise the communications operator upon arrival and
 ensure the HUS is notified to attend, if required
 ensure FIS is notified and either FIS or divisional SOCO attend the scene, as required
 take charge of the investigation until the arrival of HUS officers
 consult with the attending supervisory officer regarding GPS tracking information obtained, as applicable
 ensure compliance with Procedure 17–01, as appropriate

Question 26

Officer in Charge – Division -
The divisional Officer in Charge is responsible for ensuring an

Answer 26

appropriate uniform response, and in the absence of the detective sergeant, an appropriate investigative response.

Question 27

Officer in Charge – Division - Upon being notified of a robbery SHALL

Answer 27

 if confirmed hold-up, notify Toronto Police Operations Centre (TPOC)
 ensure the particulars are recorded in the Unit Commanders Morning Report (UCMR), as required

Question 28

Officer in Charge – Division - Upon receiving an eReport for a robbery occurrence SHALL ensure

Answer 28

 compliance with Procedure 17–01
 all involved police officers have scanned and attached all memorandum book notes to the original eReport prior to the completion of their tour of duty
 the eReport number is provided to the Unit Analyst – HUS

Question 29

Detective – Detective Operations – Hold-Up -
The investigator from the HUS SHALL

Answer 29

take charge of the investigation and seize all surveillance recordings.

Question 30

Detective – Detective Operations – Hold-Up - When attending the scene SHALL, in addition to complying with unit specific policies

Answer 30

 take charge of the investigation
 seize and hand–deliver any hold–up note to FIS – Documents
 seize or make arrangements for seizure and pick up all surveillance recordings
 consult with the attending supervisory officer and/or divisional investigator regarding GPS tracking information obtained, as applicable

Question 31

Definitions - Financial Institution

Answer 31

means any bank, trust and loan company, or credit union.

Question 32

Definitions - Global Positioning System (GPS) Tracking Device

Answer 32

in reference to hold–ups, means a tracking device used primarily by the pharmaceutical and financial industries to assist with the apprehension of suspects and recovery of stolen property when a hold–up has occurred.

Question 33

Definitions - Hold-Up (HUS) Mandate

Answer 33

HUS will take charge and attend all robberies that fall within their mandate including: financial institutions; armoured cars; retail business; home invasions committed with firearms or offensive weapons, money deposits, and carjacking’s committed with firearms or offensive weapons.